𝐍𝐨 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐓𝐨 𝐃𝐢𝐞

𝟏𝟒

["That I'd fallen for a lie. You were never on my side."]

❦

The echoes of her words lingered in my mind, twisting my thoughts into a chaotic dance of confusion and fear.  Just moments ago, I had stood face to face with the woman I had mourned, the woman I believed to be dead.

Maria had spoken words dripping with betrayal and anger, her eyes ablaze with a fire I had never seen before. It was a conversation I never thought I would have, and one I desperately wished I could forget.

As the police sirens wailed in the distance, she vanished like a ghost, slipping away into the shadows just as the law arrived to investigate the disturbance. My heart raced, pumping adrenaline through my veins as I tried to make sense of the impossible.

I paced the room, my mind a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. The memories of our life together flashed before my eyes – the laughter, the love, the moments of quiet contentment. But now, those memories were tainted with the harsh reality of her return, her accusations hanging heavy in the air.

I sank into a worn armchair in my home, my fingers trembling as I ran them through my hair. The room felt suffocating, the walls closing in around me. I needed answers, but they eluded me like ghosts in the night.

My gaze drifted to the portrait on the mantle – a snapshot frozen in time, capturing a moment of pure happiness.  Her lips twitched in a smile that caught her beautiful eyes, but so blissfully unaware of the storm that loomed on the horizon. I clung to that image, desperately searching for the woman I had loved, the woman I had lost.

Outside, the rain began to fall, a soft pitter-patter against the windowpane.  The rhythmic sound offered a brief moment of solace, a reminder of the natural order of things amid my unraveling world. I closed my eyes, trying to steady my breathing, trying to find the strength to face the truth.

But the truth remained elusive, slipping through my fingers like grains of sand.  I couldn't understand how she could be alive, how she could stand before me after all these years, and still harbor such resentment and hatred. The betrayal cut deep, a wound that festered with every passing moment.  And again, I can't even deny why she likes this.

Even after five years, the wounds have not healed, but the whole truth has not been revealed either. She doesn't know and even after my failed attempt to explain to her, she refuses to know.

As I sat in the dim light, lost in my thoughts, I vowed to uncover the secrets that had brought us to this point. I would confront the past, no matter how painful it might be. I would delve into the shadows, searching for the truth that had eluded me for so long.

"You alright, Aaron?" I heard footsteps as they approached me and I didn't even have to turn around to know who had just entered the room.

I made circles with my fingers on the material of the couch I was sitting on, taking a breath every time the circle ended.

"Fine," I said not caring about the tone.  Her look still haunted me even with my eyes open, she managed to get into my head. "How did you know where to find me?"

Luca hesitated for a second before answering. "We found the person who was standing behind hacking. Just when you left I got a message about the address and name of the person, but it was... just impossible." He stopped, giving me a moment to delimit and digest everything. "We had to react whether it was possible or not."

Yes. My Maria, my sweet, dear Maria, the one I kissed so many times, the one who promised to never leave me was the one to take every penny I had left.

Luca hastily sat down in front of me, his eyes puzzled. "But other accounts– the one from her family–"

"She's not stupid, Schafter. It was just another of many games she's playing and when I tell you, she's not done yet."  She won't be done until she finishes what she started.

With newfound determination, I rose from the chair, my steps purposeful as I made my way to the door. The rain soaked through my clothes as I stepped outside, the cool droplets a sharp contrast to the heat of my anger, confusion, and desperation.

I would find her, I vowed to myself.  She will know the truth no matter how twisted the path, no matter how dark the secrets, I would uncover the truth and finally put the ghosts of our past to rest.

❦